Feeding and mixing means for rotating combustion chambers



Nov. 27, 1951 R. H. GODDARD 2,576,678

' FEEDING AND MIXING MEANS FOR ROTATING COMBUSTION CHAMBERS Filed March22, 1947 INVENTOR.

ATTORNEY Patented Nov. 27, 1951 FEEDING AND MIXING MEANS FORv ROTAT- INGCOMBUSTION CHAMBERS Robert H. Goddard, deceased, late of Annapolis, MIL,by Esther C. Goddard, executrix, Worces-- ter, Mass., assignor ofone-half to The Daniel and Florence Guggenheim Foundation, New York, N.Y., a corporation of New York Application March 22, 1947, Serial No.736,442

2 Claims.

This invention relates to combustion chambers as used in propulsionapparatus.

It is the general object of the invention to provide improved means forfeeding and mixing liquid combustion elements for such a combustionchamber and for cooling the feeding and mixing structure. a

A further object is to provide feeding means which will effectintimate'mixing of the combustion elements and which will provide clearradial inward paths for the mixed elements.

The invention further relates to arrangements and combinations of partswhich will be hereinafter described and more particularly pointed out inthe appended claims.

Preferred forms of the invention are shown in the drawing, in which Fig.1 is a sectional front elevation of a combustion chamber embodying theinvention;

Fig. 2 is a diagrammatic View showing the paths of flow of thecombustion elements and of the resulting mixture; and

Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 2 but showing a modified construction.

Referring to Fig. 1, a combustion chamber C is enclosed in a jacket orcasing l and is rotatably mounted in bearings H and I2. The chamber Chas a closed inner end portion and a discharge nozzle N, both of whichare also enclosed. A jacket space S is thus provided around the chamberC, a space S over the end portion 20, and a space S2 around the nozzleN.

Spaced partitions 22, 23 and 24 extend lengthwise of the jacket spacesand hold the jacket casing in spaced relation to the combustion chamberand chamber end portion and to the discharge nozzle.

A feed pipe supplies liquid oxygen to the jacket space S, a feed pipe 3|similarly supplies gasoline to the jacket space S, and a pipe 32 maysupply a cooling liquid, such as water, to the space S2, which liquidthereafter escapes through end openings 33. An annular partition 34separates the jacket spaces S and S2.

Any suitable ignition device 35 may be provided and this may be of thegeneral type shown in Fig. l of the prior Goddard Patent No. 2,090,039,issued August. 17, 1937.

The present invention relates particularly to improved devices andstructure for feeding the combustion elements, as gasoline and liquidoxygen, to the closed or inner end of the combustion chamber C and foreffectively mixing these combustion elements.

The jacket spaces S and S are separated by an I 2 annular partition 31to which the flanged and down-turned outer edge portion 40 of the innerend 26 of the combustion chamber is firmly secured. The cylindrical wall42 of the chamber C has a frustro-conical upper portion 43, a smallercylindrical portion 44, and an outwardly projecting flange 45 having anupturned edge portion 46 which is also secured to the annular partition31.

Spray openings 50 and 5| are provided in the peripheral flanges 40 and45, and oxygen and gasoline are sprayed through these openings tointersect adjacent the refractory facing 55 of an annular lining member56, desirably of copper.

The resulting gaseous combustible mixture is projected inward from therefractorysurface 56 and in relatively close contact with the chamberend portion 23, as indicated by the arrows a. A very intimate andeffective mixture of the combustion elements is thus produced and thesemixed elements are delivered adjacent the axis of the combustion chamberand adjacent the ignition device 35.

In order to effectively cool all parts of the feeding structure, abaflle plate 60 is secured to the chamber end portion 20 and projectsupward and outward. The liquid oxygen entering through the pipe 36 mustthus flow around the outer end of the baffle plate 60 and cool theentire upper surface of the flanged end portion 46 before reaching thespray openings 5|].

A baffie plate is similarly mounted above the inwardly projectingconical surface 43 of the combustion chamber C and is supported byspaced lugs 66 on said conical portion. Both edge portions of thisbaffle plate 65 are spaced from all adjacent surfaces, so that thegasoline introduced through the pipe 3| and space S is divided by thebaflle plate 65 and cools the portions 43 and 44 of the combustionchamber, as well as all parts of the peripheral flange 45 and itsupturned edge portion 46 as the gasoline approaches the spray openings5| from both directions.

Effective provision is thus made for cooling all metal surfaces exposedto the high temperature of the combustion chamber gases.

In Fig. 2 it is indicated diagrammatically that the sprays from theupper openings 58 and the sprays from the lower openings 5| areangularly directed to converge against the refractory facing 55 atpoints circumferentially midway between each pair of associated openings56 and 5|, thus providing for effective mixing of the combustionelements, and additionally providing free paths for the mixture as itmoves inward along the direction of the arrows a.

in Fig. 3, a modified construction is shown diagrammatically in whichthe structure 55a supporting a corrugated refractory facing is alsovertically grooved or corrugated, so that the sprays from the upper andlower spray openings 50a and m are each divided by the ridges betweencorrugations. Portions of the diiferent sprays then intermingle andthereafter travel toward the chamber axis along paths indicated by thearrows b. These paths do not cross or interfere with the sprays injectedthrough the feed openings 50a and 5Ia.

Having thus described the invention and the advantages thereof, it willbe understood that the invention is not to be limited to the detailsherein disclosed, otherwise than as set forth in the claims, but what isclaimed is:

1. In combustion apparatus, a combustion chamber having a closed innerend portion, an outer casing enclosing jacket spaces for said chamberand for said inner end portion, means to separate said jacket spaces,means to feed different liquid combustion elements to said separatedjacket spaces, adjacent upper and lower annular flanged portions of saidchamber and of said inner end portion having openings through whichstreams of combustion elements are injected, and annular bafiie platesin said jacket spaces effective to direct said combustion liquids tocool all surfaces associated with said feeding and spraying means andwhich are exposed to high combustion temperatures, and the lbaflle platein the chamber jacket space being mounted on spaced supports and havingits inner edge portion adjacent but spaced from the combustion chamberwall and having its outer edge portion adjacent but spaced from thechamber jacket casing and from the separating partition.

2. In combustion apparatus, a combustion chamber having a closed innerend portion, an outer casing enclosing jacket spaces for said chamberand for said inner end portion, means to separate said jacket spaces,means to feed different liquid combustion elements to said separatedjacket spaces, adjacent upper and lower annular flanged portions of saidchamber and of said inner end portion having openings through whichstreams of combustion elements are injected, and annular bafile platesin said jacket spaces effective to direct said combustion liquids tocool all surfaces associated with said feeding and spraying means andwhich are exposed to high combustion temperatures, and an outerdeflecting surface being provided having corrugations extending axiallyof said combustion chamber and having the alternate ridges of thecorrugated deflecting surface engaged by streams of alternatedcombustion liquids, and having intervening ridges which redirectassociated combustion elements radially inward in said chamber and alongpaths which do not interfere with the outwardly moving streams ofinjected liquids.

ESTHER C. GODDARD.

Emecutria: of the Last Will and Testament of Robert H. Goddard,Deceased.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UN ITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 2,395,114 Goddard Feb. 19, 19462,408,112 Truax et al. Sept. 24, 1946

